Whether they are struggling to find a job or have stopped trying, unemployment is holding down millions of Americans. For them, the American dream feels out of reach. With the passage of tax reform, our attention needs to be on getting everyone who can work to work.

It is hard to believe 2017 is coming to a close. In the final days of a whirlwind year in Congress, we fulfilled our commitment to send tax reform to President Trump’s desk. This bill to overhaul our broken and overly burdensome tax code for the first time in a generation will grow economic opportunity and improve the lives of people across America.

Empowering people to achieve independence and productivity is our mission on the Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee, of which I serve as chairman. President Trump is urging Congress to focus on welfare reform after we finish our tax code overhaul, and I am eager to dive into this effort to help more Americans reach self-sufficiency.

Tax reform is our main focus in Congress right now, and many beneficial provisions for the agriculture economy are advancing with this effort. We know farmers and ranchers are weathering uncertain times, and as we get closer to putting a tax reform bill on President Trump’s desk, we also need to get moving on the farm bill.

Over these past few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I have been working day after day on tax reform. The House’s historic vote on November 16 to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a crucial step closer to a simpler, fairer tax code. As grateful as I am to see tax reform moving forward, there are many other reasons to be thankful this season!

Simplifying our broken tax system is no easy task, but we know Americans need relief. This is why we introduced a bill at the start of November to streamline the tax code and help people keep more of what they earn.